Free Thought and Free Speech, conjoined with Christian LONDON: W. KENT AND CO., PATERNOSTER ROW; EDINBURGH: MACLAREN. THOMAS HARRILD, PRINTER, SHOE LANE, FLEET STREET, LONDON, PATENT CORN FLOUR, Being first of the kind manufactured in the United Kingdom and France, it is in both countries not only the original, but indisputably the only article of the kind which, by its own merit and the simple publicity of its uses, has been adopted by the best families as an invariable table delicacy. It is prepared by a process to which long experience has given the greatest perfection, and from Maize carefully selected from the choicest crops. These advantages are so appreciable that its quality has by comparison been preferred to all others, and pronounced by the "Lancet " (July 24, 1858) "Superior to anything of the kind known." The "Illustrated London News," May 26, 1860, gave a detailed notice of it, with several engravings of the process of manufacture. The most interesting account of its value, as an article of daily use, is given in the "Leisure Hour," of May 30, 1861, in a Paper upon "Maize or Indian Corn," from which the following is an extract:-"There can be no doubt that the amylaceous material prepared and sold by them has all the advantages which they claim for it, under the name of Patent Corn Flour." Dr. Lankester, F.R.S., F.L.S., refers to it in terms of the highest praise in his Lectures delivered at the South Kensington Museum, "On Food," (Hardwicke, 192, Piccadilly, pp. 71-80). Recipes from the "Cook's Guide" (Published by Mr. Bentley, New Burlington Street, W.), by C. E. Francatelli, late Chief Cook to Her Majesty the Queen :-INFANTS' FOODTo one dessert-spoonful of BROWN & POLSON, mixed with a wineglassful of cold water, add half-a-pint of boiling water; stir over the fire for five minutes; sweeten lightly, and feed the baby; but if the infant is being brought up by hand, this food should then be mixed with milk-not otherwise, as the use of two different milks would be injurious. Families who have other kinds sent or recommended instead of BROWN & POLSON'S will find that there is extra profit upon the sale of every article thus substituted, and to support this practice the most fraudulent announcements are issued by makers who try to obtain a sale for inferior qualities. Many Grocers, Chemists, etc., who supply the best-quality in preference to best-profit articles, sell none but BROWN & POLSON'S. Dr. Cornwell's Educational Works. "Dr. Cornwell ranks among our very best editors, of educational treatises. We have for many years used his English School Grammar, his Young Composer, and his School Geography, as text-books; and can testify, from daily experience, that, in practical utility to private students, and in perfect adaption to the purposes of public instruction, they cannot be surpassed. The four latest contributions to the editor's educational series fully maintain his high reputation. The Geography for Beginners furnishes an admirable initiation into the author's more elaborate manual of School Geography; the Map Book for Beginners is equal, in point of execution, to any atlas of its size we have seen; while the Book of Blank Maps, and the Book of Map Projections, at once suggest and supply the true and only data for the rational and effective teaching of Geography. On the whole we can, with the utmost confidence, recommend these and the other works of Dr. Cornwell to all who are engaged in the education of youth."-Macphail's Literary Review. Just published, MAP BOOK FOR BEGINNERS, 1s. 6d. ; 2s. 6d. coloured. BOOK OF MAP PROJECTIONS, 1s. GEOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS, 8th Edition, 1s. A SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY, 30th Edition, 3s. 6d. ; with Maps, 5s. 6d. A SCHOOL ATLAS, 2s. 6d. plain; 4s. coloured. ALLEN & CORNWELL'S GRAMMAR, 31st Edit., 2s. red; 1s. 9d. cloth. GRAMMAR FOR BEGINNERS, 37th Edition, 1s. cloth; 9d. sewed. THE YOUNG COMPOSER, 24th Edition, 1s. 6d. SELECT ENGLISH POETRY, 11th Edition, 4s. CORNWELL & FITCH'S SCIENCE OF ARITHMETIC, 7th Ed., 4s. 6d. ARITHMETIC FOR BEGINNERS, or SCHOOL ARITHMETIC, 5th Edition, 1s. 6d. London: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & Co.; HAMILTON, ADAMS, & Co. NORTHERN MONTHLY. JANUARY 1862. THE EDUCATION QUESTION. A REVIEW AND A PROPOSAL. IN that memorable letter, which the mother of John Wesley wrote to her husband, in defence of her practice of reading sermons to the parishioners of Epworth during the rector's absence from his living, she states that there was not a man in that parish of two thousand inhabitants who could read a sermon "without spelling a good part of it." The pious pilgrim, who should now visit the birth-place of the founder of Methodism, will find there an apparatus for teaching, such as good Mrs. Wesley never dreamed of. There ought, now, to be no danger of any parishioner of Epworth not being able to read a sermon "without spelling a good part of it." The population of the town, in the days of Queen Victoria is exactly what it was in the days of Queen Anne; but Epworth has now a certificated teacher;" it has also 'pupil-teachers;" it enjoys the benefit of "capitation grants," and if you should enter its National School you would doubtless see diagrams of hydrostatics, and diagrams of hydraulics; diagrams physiological, diagrams astronomical and diagrams geological. And what may be seen at Epworth may be seen in every considerable parish in the kingdom. Such has been the "march of intellect" in a hundred and fifty years! 66 Now, how has this great change been brought about? There are No. 1.-VOL I. two parties in this country who will give two very different replies to this question. The State educationist will say, "Mainly by the Government;" the Voluntary educationist will say, "Mainly by natural causes, having nothing whatever to do with the Government." Which reply is the true one, or, rather, which reply contains the most truth? A few broad facts will supply an answer. In the first place, as both parties must admit, it is quite certain that the Government had nothing to do with the beginning of popular education in this country, and that great advances were made before it gave any aid. At the time when Lancaster and Bell began their great enterprizes there could have been little, if any, progress in general intelligence from the period when Mrs. Wesley wrote the words that we have already quoted. In the year when Mr. Brougham sat as Chairman of the Committee on the Education of the Poor, one in every 17 of the population was at school. Fifteen years pass away-the Government still declining to render any aid in the matter-and it is found that the number of day-scholars is equal to one in 11 of the population. That is to say, two out of every three children of a school age were receiving education. The first Government grant was made soon after this period. So small, for |